Reenforcing girth



Dec. 9, 1924.

J. w. LESLIE REENFORCING GIRTH Filed March 15, 1920 Jive/2E: kfofiiz MIL eaiie.

mm M

m- In I about-a. box or package,

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,518,437 PATENT OFFICE.

101m w. LEsLIE, or. EVANSToN, ILLINOIS.

nnnnroncme GIRTH.

Application filed March: 15, 1920.' Serial No. 365,951.

To all whom it may concern: I

-Beit known that I, JOHN W. Lnsmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement In Reenforcing Girths, of whichthe following is a specification. I

This invention relates to reenforcin I girths for use in forming joints in metal ic tensional binders, known as box strap, orthe like; and has for itsobject the productlon of a girth of simple and economical construction, having among others the advantages in a plication and use, hereinafter more speci cally pointed out. I

In the drawings, which constitute merely an illustrative embodiment of the invention:

Fig-1 isa perspective view, partly in cross section, showing'my new reenforcmg girth in process of being applied to mutually overlapped strap ends,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the girth as applied to said strap ends, prior to the joint forming operation pro er,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, s owing the gIrth at a succeeding stage in the process of forming a joint,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a joint formed with my reenforcing girth,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the joint,

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on lines .66 of Fig. 4, and

Fig.'-7 is an elevation of a box with a binder applied thereabout in a manner to illustrate a method of application forming :1. art of my invention. I

n the drawings a box strap surrounding a box or package is shown, having a lower end 1 and an upper end 2 superposed upon and in alignment with the lower end. The box strap is represented in the position it assumes when takenfro'm a reel and applied art of which is shown in dotted lines in' ig. l. The disclosure further shows the manner of application of my new girth and a resulting illustrative joint, as will be described.

The reenforcing girth of my invention comprises a back piece 3 shaped to conform with and lie flat upon the top surface of at one'lon tudinal edgewith a flange 4 bent substantially at right angles with the flange .3, and adapted to abut and lie snugly against lapped strap lengths.

the flush longitudinal ed es 5 of the overntegrally formed with the flange 4, extending inwardly therefrom and forming a slightly obtuse angle therewith is the flange 6, the construction being such that a hook isformed bythe parts 3, 4:, and 6, havin a slightly flaring mouth, by means of which one side of the an edge 9, which is located inwardly beyond the angle 10 between the back piece 3 and the flange 7.,

In applying a girth of the character hereinabove described it is unnecessary to thread the same successively upon two overlapped strap ends as is the case with girths of slotted tubular construction, heretofore widely in use or to perform bending operations upon the girth in the process of applying it in embracing relatlon upon overlapped strap lengths. Assuming that the strap is applied about the box or package with a mutual overlap, as indicated in Figure' 1, the girth of my invention may be applied thereto hooking the flange 6 under the overlap in the strap, thereby bringing the girth Into the position shown in igure 1. Thereafter by ressing down upon the corIier or angle 10, since the girth is preferably made of metal, having at least some resiliency) the rounded under surface of the flange 8 will cam over the adjacent edge of the strap overlap (Figures 1 and 2), causing the edge 9 of the girth yieldingly to ride over the flush strap edges and to snap in under the left hand strap ed e into the position shown in Figure 2. I n this position of the parts the girth substantially embraces the overla ped strap and cannot fall or be shaken ofi Although the engagement of the left hand flange (Figure 2) with the strap isnot .complete after the foregoing operation, the

' position as shown in Fi girth by simultaneously crimping the same.

No change is necessary to accomplish this result on the right (Figure 2) since the parts 3, 4, and 6 already more or less tightly engage the strap. On the left (Figure 2) the edges 9 and the flanges 8 and 7, are so situated that compression thereupon. either horizontally toward the center of the strap on the flange 7, or applied upwardly upon the lowest point of the flange 8, will cause. the edge 9 to move inwardly along the under surface of the flat strap 1, straightening out as-it moves until the parts come into the position shown in Figure 3. In this figure the girth although applied to both strap ends simultaneously, as would be impossible with a slotted tubular girth of familiar construction, has been transformed by ordinary compression incident to a crimping operation into such a girth.

In Figures 4, 5, and 6, I have shown a jointformed in the overlapped strap and girth simultaneously involving edgewise crim ing thereof. In forming such a joint (which is selected for illustrative purposes) the region of the strapandenclosing 'irth is necessarily subjected to compression both inwardly, horizontally, and upwardly. Such compression applied to the girth of my invention in the position shown in Figure 2, will first change the shape of the girth from that shown in Figure 2; into that shown in Figure 3 wherein the girth-is in substantially complete tight superficial contact with the strap surfaces; or in other words is equivalent to a slotted tubular girth although applied to both strap ends simultaneously as is impossible with such a girth.

The continuation of the crimping operation, (as indicated in Fi es 4:, 5, and 6) forms the girth and em raced stra ends into a joint of the edgewise crimpe char- ,acter, illustrated in these fi res. However, joints of other characters might equally well be formed with the girth by applying the necessary crimping tools to the girth in the re 2; the compressing effect of the operation necessary to distort or crimp the strap into substantially any girth, resulting in the bending of the flanges 7 and 8 so as to bring the inner surface of these substantially into tight superficilal contact with the surface of the strap en s.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated 'more or less diagrammatically a method of applying binders to boxes or packages which results in the saving of a considerable amount of strap and a generally increased efficiency in operation. This method may be briefly described as follows.

The strap is. fed off from a reel (not shown and its leading end is carried aroun the box and applied underneath the continuous length 2 of the strap leading back to the reel. Thereupon stretching tool 11 of any familiar character is applied to tighten or stretch the strap about the box with the desired tension. In this position of the parts, the end 7 lies underneath a'continuous length of strap which extends all the way back to the reel.

In the method of applying these binders heretofore practised the strap was first cut to provide a second free end, and thereafter a reenforcing girth successivel threaded on the two free strap ends; the ree ends then overlapped; the stretched tool applied; and lastly the joint-forming operation carried out. According to my new method the stretching and ]oining operations are carried out beforethe top strap length is out, so that all of the slack is taken out of the strap prior to cutting the same. The girth of my invention is applied simultaneously to the overlapped strap lengths before, during, or after the stretching operation; and when this operation is completed the joint is formed as shown in Figure 7. Subse uently the stretching tool may be disengage from the overlapped strap and the strap left applied about the box, taut and joined in a closed loop, while still a continuous length thereof reaches back to the reel. Subsequently the strap is cut close to the joint 12, at the point 13. The resultingnew end is utilized for the next box as was the original end 1 for the box just strapped. This new method of application results in a very considerable saving in strap, inasmuch asthe entire slack is taken out of the. strap prior to the severing thereof, so that only exactly the quantity of strap necessary to encircle the packa in stretched or tensional condition, an give the overlap necessary for the desired joint, is utilized in applying the binder upon the box. a

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a reenforcing girth for box strappin and the like comprism formed with a back piece; a flange at one edge of the back piece and bent into the form of a hook adapted to. be hooked over and enga'gean ed e of a box stra a second flange in the ack piece opposite the first, extendin substantially outwardly therefrom an having a recurved portion extending inwardly toward the opposite flange whereby said girth may be applied to mutually overlapped box strap ends by hooking one flan e thereover sidewise under the strap, and t en snapping the remainder of the girth thereon by forcing the reeurved flange portion past the o posite strap edges in a direction substantial y perpendicular to the face of the strap. v

2. An an article of manufacture, a reenforcing girth for box strapping and the like a somewhat V resi ient membercomprising a somewhat resilient member formed with a back piece; a flange at one edge of the back piece and bent into the form of a hook and adapted to be hooked under and engage, and fit somewhat snugly upon an ed e of a box strap, and a second flange opposite the first adapted yieldinglly to be forced past the opposite edge, sai flange being supplied with a curved strap edge contacting portion to facilitate the forcing thereof past said edge.

3. A reenforcing girth for box strap joints comprising a back piece, a hook formed on one edge thereof and comprising a flange bent downwardly from the hook member, having a flaring mouth to receive the edges of superposed alined box strap ends, a flange on the opposite edge of the reenforcing member having a recurved portion, convex on its exterior surface and adapted to be yieldingly forced over the edges of said box strap, whereby the reenforcing member may be applied by engaging one edge of the superposed box strap ends in said hook and forcing the opposite flange of said member down over the other edge thereof.

4. The method of strapping boxes or the like which consists in feeding oil from an indefinite supply upon a reel or the like, a sulficient length to encircle the box or package, stretching the said length about the box or package without severing it from the supply, and with the free end overlapped by another portion of the strap and with the free strap end and the superposed continuous len th, forming a joint in the strap crimping the overlapped portions together and thereafter severing the top strap adj acent the joint. 7

5. The method of placing tensioning devices about boxes or the like which consists in feeding ofl from an indefinite supply on a reel or spindle a suflicient length of tensioning device to encircle the box, stretching the length about the box without severing it from the supply and with the free end adj acent to the body portion of the tensioning device, crimping the adjacent portions together to form a joint, thereafter severing the body portion of the tensioning device adjacent to the joint.

6. The method of placing tensioning devices about boxes or the like which consists in feeding ofi from an indefinite supply of tensioning device from a reel or the like a suflicient length to encircle the box, stretching the same length about the box without severing it from the supply and with the free end adjacent the body portion of said tensioning device, placing a sleeve about said free end and adjacent body portion, forming a joint in the tensioning device by crimping the sleeve, free end of said tensioning device and adjacent body portion together and thereafter severing the body of said tensioning device adjacent to said joint.

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification.

JOHN W. LESLIE. 

